Maximiliano had always hated his father, even though he hadn't known him very well, and the memories he had about him were too vague to pay attention to; his mother had always told him that he had to forgive to heal, but it was impossible for him to forgive a man who had abandoned him to his fate. His grandfather had always hated the man his daughter had married, and that was why he had always thought of leaving him in misery, so that he could learn a lesson, but he had never been so cruel, and perhaps, the incapacity not being able to be really cruel, had been inherited by his grandson, who was looking at the floor in a lost way.Dylan was sleeping, his grandfather wasn't there, Amelia was in another room in that house, they didn't usually spend any time together, only when his grandfather was there, and he found himself observing absolute nothingness, immersing himself in memories, thoughts, emotions. He had cried three times, breaking down and then coming together again, not even a
She didn't know her brain was capable of dealing with so much stress, until dealing with stress had become her only alternative. She hadn't been able to silence her mind and the constant chatter it kept up; she had practiced dozens of times, how she would tell her mother that she had married a man for money, and nothing came to her mind, nothing strong enough for her mother not to give her a life lesson for doing what she had done, which she knew was unacceptable for the religion to which the woman belonged, on another occasion, she would not have given a damn if her mother did not agree with what she was doing, however, she knew that one of the factors that worsened all the illnesses that her mother had, was stress, one to which she would inevitably subject her that afternoon.Maximiliano had told her that they would stay in that room until his grandfather left so that they could visit Amelia's mother and explain everything to her, he had been tempted to ask the woman the reason for
Maximiliano sighed, almost in Amelia's face."I don't think it's best for you to yell at your mother, Amelia.""I wasn't going to yell at her," she lied, "It's just… infuriating, it's just that"."I know, but yelling at her won't make her cooperate with us.""And what will you do then?" When she wants to, it's a pain in the ass, if she says no, it's no, especially when it comes to her religion" Amelia sighed, the whole situation kept her in deep stress. "I don't know what we'll do, she... I don't think she'll accept, I'm so sorry...""I could tell my grandfather that your mother got sick and that she has to postpone the visit, and if he says he wants to come see her, we tell him that she has something contagious." Amelia looked at him silently. "You're right, he's not going to believe that story"."I said nothing"."But your eyes did, and you're right: he won't buy a story like that, with how obstinate he is, he'll want to come"."What can we do?""I have no idea, maybe try to convinc
Amelia would never have seen herself being part of a childish game like that, accompanied by a man who was also an adult.Although she couldn't deny that from time to time a smile escaped from her at the clumsiness of Maximiliano's enormous body running to avoid being caught by his son."Ready or not, here I come!" Amelia hid in a corner when she heard Dylan's shrill voice say that, she felt how the little boy passed close to where she was, but without being able to see her. Amelia peeked through the door of one of the rooms, seeing how Maximiliano also looked at the little boy running, the beginning of a smile was seen on the man's lips when he looked at Amelia."Crosses!" he whispered to her, making a gesture with his hand that she didn't quite understand, she didn't understand the reason why he was asking her to cross into the same room where he was, so she remained still in the place her, "Cross over, Amelia!" he insisted."He'll find me out!" The whispers were much louder than th
The first image that Maximiliano encountered when he opened his eyes that morning was certainly unexpected.Amelia, with her eyes closed and her lips barely moving between almost inaudible snores, while her face remained only a few centimeters from his, so much so that he could see a small birthmark that the woman had under her eyebrow, he tried to decipher the shape of that brand, but it did not work, it did not have any shape, but it was beautiful.Maximiliano gasped when he realized how close their faces were, their lips, then he lowered his gaze, realizing that he was hugging her tightly, that he had his left leg on the body of the woman he was suffocating in a hug. "How the hell had that happened?" he wondered, slowly loosening his grip. She didn't remember doing any of that. He didn't remember holding her, much less remembered snuggling into the woman's neck, what the hell had happened while he slept?Maximiliano watched carefully how she stirred when he started to walk away, s
The little boy had not stopped talking the whole way. Amelia was in the back of the car, sitting next to him, answering his particular questions while Maximiliano drove, listening to them in silence. Not even with him did she talk that much, not even that, with enough confidence as from someone she had known all her life. From time to time, the gazes of both adults brushed against each other. They said nothing, but their eyes screamed a lot of things that, in a way, neither wanted to decipher. They looked like any happy family, but they weren't even a family."Dad taught me to read," Dylan said, haphazardly pulling out one of the notebooks his father had stuffed into that overstuffed backpack.Amelia bit her lips, why had he bought so many notebooks for a little boy of only four? She laughed to herself, something told her that just because he had a son, didn't mean he knew too much about children."Yes?" Amelia asked, mentally admitting that talking to Dylan was more dynamic than t
A month had passed since the visit of Amelia's mother to Maximiliano's house, and the grandfather had behaved "normally", although the occasional questions that wanted to set a trap for the woman, did not stop, something told Amelia that she would not stop until all that farce continued.Night had fallen, the days were becoming more and more particular, and her insomnia had not slowed down, much less would it do so as long as she continued to sleep with him.Like every other night, after promising Amelia that he would control her movements while she slept, Maximiliano found himself hugging the woman as she slept, his face pressed against hers. Amelia sighed, hoping that the same thing wouldn't happen the day before when he kissed her in her sleep. It had been a short, awkward kiss on the lips."You didn't stop him, though," her mind whispered, drawing a smile from the woman, who felt the man clench his stomach. She wondered what the hell he was dreaming that he felt the need to cling
Amelia had not conceived of the dream at all, it was becoming commonplace. The doubt as to whether all the times he had hugged her like that while she slept had been intentional kept going around in her head, in a kind of hamster wheel that wouldn't slow down any time soon.The sunlight came through the half-open window, she had gotten up a while ago, curiously, that night, after apologizing for "the habit", Maximiliano had not returned to embrace her while he "slept", the most he had done, was to approach her back, breathing almost in her ear, he wanted to get closer to her, but he was uncovered.She had spent forty-five nights with him, and in all of them, she had to feel how strong arms clung to her, how the softest hair in the world caressed the back of her neck, while when she lowered her eyes she found a beautiful face, had it all been intentional? Amelia had too many doubts, why would he do something like that?Maximiliano opened the door to the room, causing the woman to rais
Amelia opened the door to the room they both shared. Dark circles under her eyes were all over her face.Maximiliano bit his nails, Amelia always told him that she would take care of the baby, but he wanted at least one day to put her to sleep.The clock struck three in the morning. The only thing that broke the silence was the baby's cry, which resounded intermittently."Did she fall asleep?"Amelia walked slowly to the bed and fell on her face.Maximiliano picked her up.That was a yes.He filled her face with kisses. She gave him a weak smile, though she could barely keep her eyes open."I don't know... how... a baby of... only four... months... gets so much... energy to... cry," the woman mumbled, closing her eyes without wanting to, sleep was stronger than her, she ended up asleep on Maximiliano's legs, who caressed her hair.The baby's cry resounded, once again.Aurora was so loud.Maximiliano's gaze slid to Amelia. She had completely fallen asleep.This was her chance.He left a
Life had given him an opportunity in the form of a contract, one that he had been moments away from discarding forever. Ironically, it had been her maddening decision that had saved her from losing that wonderful man who was giving her mischievous glances in the dining room.She compressed a smile, she wasn't supposed to do that when her mother and Dylan were there, though only they could understand her game of looks.Amelia lifted a spoon to Dylan's lips, who gave her a smile. The little boy knew how to eat on his own, he had turned five, but it was better when his mother gave him food. He said it tasted more delicious when it was in "Mermelia's" hands.Five long months had passed since that night when the two had decided to become a reality. A huge ring glittered on Amelia's finger, one that her husband had given her to seal their love.Maximiliano's hand slipped down Amelia's leg, drawing a depraved laugh from the woman.He took advantage of being next to her to whisper to her that
Amelia wiggled nervously. Something told her she had made the wrong decision.The right decision couldn't feel so bitter. So searing, so painful.She had fallen in love too soon with that place he had shown her, which was truly beautiful. The metaphor of the flowers had helped her to find some peace in her heart.She remembered how Maximilian had pointed to the sky with his thick fingers."Your mother is just another star, every time you look at the sky, she will be there, watching over you.""Mom... are you there?"Amelia's voice melted into the wind, her gaze melting into the sky.She had made a mistake, but she didn't think she could make it right.He'd surely noticed she was gone. Maybe he was better off that way.But... what if she came back? What if he wasn't better off?Amelia shook her head, shaking the thought away.There was no going back, even if her heart roared with pain. Even if she felt she would never forget him, and that in every man she would try to look for him.The
Maximiliano stopped his car, earning Amelia's gaze, it had been more than two hours of travel. That place seemed to be at the end of the world."We have arrived".They both got out of the car, walking towards the place where Maximiliano had built himself."I discovered this place when I was about ten years old," he said, "I have never forgotten it" The man held Amelia by the arm gently, helping her to enter the place, which looked like a mix between a park and a secluded area of society, she could not even identify what it was, she could only perceive that the stars seemed to shine much brighter from that place. "The first time I came, I was at school, the second time, I was drunk, on the verge of death".Amelia looked at him, uncomprehending. He didn't look like a liquor addict, she hadn't seen him even once drinking.They both went deeper into the place, full of beautiful flowers that seemed to caress the woman's heart.Maximiliano licked his lips, ready to tell the story he had kep
Amelia fell to her knees in that grave. The color of the night covered her body in a loose dress. Sadness took over her face, her gestures, her every limb, even her breathing. She had never seen herself experiencing such deep pain as that; thrown on that dark earth, feeling her knees being hurt and hearing her own cry, so loud that it seemed alien to her, as she felt Maximiliano's hand, seeking to comfort her.Amelia brought her trembling fingers to the grave, breaking down once again. She had never engaged in self-injurious behavior until this had happened. She couldn't see any color in life when her rainbow had died. To think that with a little more care, he could have saved her earlier, it killed her. It had killed her more than a hundred times that week.The woman laid her mother's favorite flowers on the grave, swallowing saliva, trying to regulate the flow of her tears, but they possessed a life of their own.Amelia's stomach roared violently: she had almost a whole week without
Dylan licked his parched little lips, looking up at his father, with what little lucidity he had, the man stroked his tousled hair."Where's mommy?" asked the little boy, with that innocence that always filled the man with enthusiasm for life.It was daytime, a sunny one. The party had left everyone exhausted, including the little boy who had not climbed on the roof because it had been impossible for him to do so, but his hyperactivity was the reason why he had slept late. It was eleven o'clock in the morning and little Dylan lay with his eyes barely open, asking for what he thought was his mother."She sleeps," Maximiliano answered him, although it made no sense and he knew it: Dylan was falling deep into another dream, he had not even heard his answer, "She sleeps like an angel".Maximiliano covered the little boy with a soft, thick blanket and then left the room at a leisurely pace.Last night had been the best night he had ever had in his bitter life. The woman had laid her head o
"Have a seat, Amelia," Maximiliano's mother asked.The woman salivated, doing so.The man's mother had approached her and told her that she had a very serious matter to discuss with her. It had even been worrying on her face, something that had prompted Amelia to get up early from her seat, leave Dylan with some children and go with her."What do you want to talk to me about, ma'am?"The loud, outgoing woman Amelia had met at the beginning had vanished, in front of her was only a woman with worries in her eyes."Amelia, the last thing I want is for my son to get hurt" The woman let out a brief sigh. "But I believe that certain things are inevitable"."Lady, I...""You don't leave my son indifferent, Amelia," the woman confessed. "You're not only his fake wife, you're the woman he hired with apathy and who now doesn't want him to leave" She played with her fingers tremulously. "Amelia, my son has a past that I don't talk about to almost anyone, but I think it's necessary for you to kno
No one had warned him that a party would take place in that mansion, only his mother had gone a few hours before to tell him to get ready and warn his "wife" because many members of the family would be coming to the property. He had waited only minutes before the event to have the courage to tell the woman.The man paced from one place to another. The atmosphere with Amelia had been as heavy as a rock after he had confessed his feelings to her. Although there was a peculiarity in the woman's behavior, she didn't seem at odds with what he felt, she seemed more distressed for herself; she had a storm in her head and he didn't even know it."Amelia" The man opened the door to the room where she had isolated herself, but there was no one there. "Amelia?"For an instant, he was seized by the fear that she had left without telling anyone. The panic that seized him was an unexpected, bitter and aggressive one."I am here" The woman's faint whisper did not allow the panic to grow any more in
The woman was possessed by the sudden and almost uncontrollable desire to flee from the car when she heard him say that; the air left her for endless minutes, her chest tightened, a tremor dominated each of her limbs, her saliva became her own enemy, suffocating her.A tremulous breath escaped her lips."I-I... Maximiliano..."The man closed his eyes, as if he were as restless as she was; he was not very talented with women, in fact, his late wife and he had ended up married because of the circumstances, and because the woman had shamelessly intruded on him, but with Amelia everything was so different that more than once he had felt like a teenager trying to conquer someone."Amelia, you need to know something"."No," the woman blurted out, playing with her fingers. "What y-you heard is nothing".Maximiliano slowed down the car, feeling a pressure in his chest."Amelia, I'm sure of what I heard".The woman thought of something quickly, she would not allow herself to be exposed."She's